Sport

Record breaking match ready for conclusion

EAST Lancashire’s record breakers will finally end their 150-hour cricket match tonight after playing their part in the longest game in history.

Sankesh Waghray, Josh Stevenson, Mudasser Panchbhaya and Sabir Patel have spent the week playing in the non-stop game at Loughborough University and went into the Guinness Book of Record, at 7pm on
Thursday.

But not satisfied with that, they will finally call time on the game at 4pm today after an astonishing 150 hours.

The game started last Sunday and the players had to brave shocking weather on Thursday with rain, hail and thunder and lightning sweeping across the all-weather floodlit pitch.

“Thursday night and Friday morning was brutal,” said Stevenson. “I was wearing four layers, hat and gloves. There was a freezing wind at two in the morning.

“We are still going strong though, even if the sleeping pattern is completely gone.”

The charity marathon, which is raising money for the Harley Staples Cancer Trust, a charity that builds holiday homes for children suffering with various forms of cancer.

It has been supported by stars of the sport including Paul Nixon, Matthew Hoggard, Alex Tudor and Alec Stewart, who have all stood as umpires for a period.

“It’s an amazing effort from all of them,” said Nixon. “They certainly deserve a rest at the end of it.”